What to Check on a Commercial Roof After Hail or High Wind

The National Weather Service uses specific thresholds for severe thunderstorms, including hail at least 1 inch in diameter or wind gusts of at least 58 mph.

Official sources can include:

• National Weather Service local storm reports;
• NOAA Storm Events Database;
• hail size reports;
• measured or estimated wind gusts;
• storm dates;
• reports of property damage.

NOAA's Storm Events Database can be searched by area and event type, which is more reliable than relying on memory or hearsay about a storm.

For a broader weather workflow, use CapXos’s Storm & Hail Roof Damage Guide alongside the property-level inspection.

A hail report can confirm that hail was reported in an area. A wind report can confirm strong gusts.

Neither tells you whether a specific roof membrane, seam, edge, flashing detail, or rooftop unit was damaged.

Two neighboring buildings can experience the same storm and come out differently because of roof system, age, installation, maintenance, exposure, and previous damage.

Storm data is best used to prioritize inspections, not to pre-write the repair estimate.

A professional inspection may include:

• roof edges and perimeter conditions;
• membrane seams;
• flashing;
• coping;
• parapets;
• fasteners and attachment points;
• penetrations;
• displaced or loose materials;
• drains and scuppers;
• rooftop equipment and supports;
• debris impact;
• evidence of water entry.

Hail damage depends heavily on the material and the size and intensity of the event.

Possible inspection points include:

• membrane surface;
• insulation below suspect areas;
• metal components;
• flashing;
• coatings;
• skylights;
• rooftop equipment;
• vents and covers;
• areas with previous repairs.

Do not treat cosmetic marks and functional damage as the same thing. The effect of hail has to be evaluated in the context of the actual system.

NRCA maintains technical guidance for evaluating hail-damaged roofing.

Debris can block drains, scuppers, and gutters, creating a drainage problem after the storm has passed.

Check for:

• blocked drains;
• debris around drainage points;
• ponding water;
• displaced strainers;
• damaged gutters or downspouts;
• changes in water flow.

Commercial roofs often support HVAC units, vents, communications equipment, solar components, and other mounted systems.

Attachments, penetrations, and flashing around rooftop equipment should be part of the inspection, not just the open field of the membrane.

Storm data becomes much more useful when it is combined with roof history.

Building A

• newer roof;
• recent reroof permit;
• documented maintenance;
• no known prior leak history.

Building B

• older roof;
• no obvious recent replacement permit;
• multiple past repairs;
• severe hail or wind after the last major roofing record.

The same storm does not create the same prospecting priority.

Building B deserves a closer look first, even though the weather record alone does not prove it needs repair.

CapXos combines storm context with roofing and property information and already has dedicated regional storm pages.

For Georgia-specific context, CapXos also maintains a Georgia storm and roof damage page for regional weather and roofing activity.

A useful storm inspection report should include:

• inspection date;
• property address;
• weather-event date if relevant;
• roof system;
• photographed conditions;
• exact locations of defects;
• active leaks, if any;
• temporary work performed;
• recommended next step;
• areas that could not be inspected;
• follow-up date.

Avoid inflated language.

If you found one open seam, say that. If widespread moisture requires further testing, say that. If storm damage has not been verified, do not call it confirmed damage just because hail was reported nearby.

When several properties are affected by the same storm, contractors still need an order of operations. A useful triage list starts with buildings that already had leak history, older systems, previous edge or flashing problems, exposed rooftop equipment, or tenants and inventory that make water intrusion especially costly.

For existing accounts, compare the storm path with the customer portfolio and call the highest-risk properties first. For new prospects, use the event only as a reason to offer an inspection. Do not promise damage, insurance coverage, or replacement before the roof is checked.

If access is unsafe because of lightning, standing water, unstable components, or continuing high wind, postpone the roof walk until conditions are safe. The quality of the inspection matters more than being first on the roof.

For existing customers, severe weather creates a simple workflow: identify affected properties and offer inspections.

For prospecting, the same data can identify commercial buildings where an inspection offer is timely.

The outreach can remain factual:

• a severe event was recorded near the property;
• the roof is in an older age range;
• the available history does not show a recent major replacement;
• you are offering a condition assessment.

Start with the CapXos storm guide or commercial roof map. Search the market, review roof and property information, and move the properties worth pursuing into an opportunity workflow.

The homepage allows contractors to search by address, city, or ZIP and browse the map without signing up. For full access and project tools, create an account or request a demo through the homepage form.

Search commercial roofs by address, city, or ZIP on CapXos and add the properties worth pursuing to your pipeline.